Malissa Hohenstein
Hello, I am Malissa Hohenstein. I am a dedicated Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) for 20 years providing compassionate, evidence-based therapy to adults (18+) navigating life’s challenges. I specialize in helping individuals overcome anxiety, depression, trauma, and the weight of everyday stress.
My therapeutic approach is rooted in deep empathy and a down-to-earth, relatable presence, creating a space where you can feel authentically seen and heard.
My approach is rooted in creating a safe, non-judgmental, and trauma-informed space where you can explore your experiences, build resilience, and develop practical tools for lasting change. Whether you are struggling with relationship issues, processing past trauma, or feeling overwhelmed by daily demands, I am here to support you in creating a more fulfilling life. I am a caring provider that you can expect to give you honest and direct answers. I want you to succeed in being the best version of yourself that you can be. I will work with you to help you accomplish your treatment goals, sort through issues and make life changes that help you with your emotional well-being.
First session
Our first session is designed to be comfortable, collaborative space to begin our work together, focusing on getting to know one another and establishing a strong therapeutic foundation. We will start by exploring what brought you to therapy at this point in your life and what specific goals you have for our sessions. I will ask about your psychosocial history (psychological, social, and developmental functioning) to better understand your background and context, as well as your previous experiences with therapy-including what has worked well for you and what has not-to ensure our approach is tailored to your needs. Finally, we will dedicate time to discussing the therapeutic relationship, including expectations for our work, confidentiality, and boundaries, ensuring you feel secure and informed as we begin this process.
Strengths
My therapeutic approach is rooted in deep empathy and a down-to-earth, relatable presence, creating a space where you can feel authentically seen and heard. My greatest strength lies in balancing unwavering support with practical, actionable skill building. Together, we will work on processing the thoughts, complex experiences, and emotions that may feel overwhelming, always prioritizing validating your unique journey. My goal is to ensure you feel understood while gaining the tangible tools necessary to navigate life's challenges with confidence and clarity.
Ideal clients
I work best with adults (18+) who feel 'stuck' in life, overwhelmed by everyday anxiety, or weighed down by mild depression. My ideal clients are motivated to make a change but feel they lack the tools, skills, or roadmap to move forward. They are looking for a collaborative, supportive space to talk things through, sort out their thoughts, and learn practical coping strategies for navigating adulthood and life transitions. Because my practice focuses on skill-building and personal growth, I specialize exclusively in outpatient, non-crisis care for adults. I do not work with high-acuity or actively suicidal concerns, ensuring my clients receive the targeted, goal-oriented support they need for everyday life challenges.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
We will use CBT to help you identify thought patterns, behaviors and emotions that are unhealthy and then replace them with more effective and realistic alternatives.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
Through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy you can learn coping skills to reduce your symptoms by accepting difficult thoughts and feelings instead of avoiding or getting stuck in them while committing to actions that align with what matters most to you.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
In my practice I use DBT to help clients improve their relationships and navigate overwhelming emotions through tools in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational interviewing is a method I use to help clients strengthen their motivation and commitment to change.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
White
Woman
Top specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Life Transitions
Other specialties
Grief
Mood Disorders
Peer Relationships
Self Esteem
Serves
Adults (18 to 64)
Elders (65 and above)
Individual Therapy
Doesn't specialize in
ADHD
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
Addiction
Addiction / Substance Use
Adlerian
Anger Management
Autism
Biofeedback
Brainspotting
Career Counseling
Child or Adolescent
Childhood / Intergenerational Trauma
Christian Counseling
Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Suicide Prevention (CBT-SP)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i)
Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS)
Couples Counseling
Couples Counseling
Couples Counseling
Crisis Intervention
Dissociative Disorders
Domestic Violence
EMDR
Eating Disorders
Existential
Experiential Therapy
Faith based therapy
Family Therapy
Family Therapy
Family Therapy
Feminist
Fertility & Reproduction Issues
First Responders/Healthcare Workers
Forensic Psychology
Foster Care/Adoption
Gambling Addiction
Gender-affirming therapy
Gestalt
Gottman method
Group Therapy
High Clinical Acuity
Humanistic
Hypnotherapy
Imago Relationship Theory
Integrative
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
LGBTQ
Learning / School Challenges
Learning Disabilities
Medication Management
Men's Issues
Military/Veterans
Mind-body approach
Multicultural
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
Neurofeedback
Parent-Child Interaction (PCIT)
Perinatal / Postpartum
Perinatal Mental Health
Personality Disorders
Play Therapy
Postpartum
Prolonged Exposure Therapy
Psychobiological Approach Couple Therapy
Racial trauma treatment
Racism
Recent Hospitalization
Relational
Sandplay
Schema Therapy
School Issues
Self-Harming
Serious Mental Illness
Serious Mental Illness / Crisis
Sex Addiction
Sex Therapy
Sex Therapy
Sexual Abuse
Sexual Health
Spirituality
Structural Family Therapy
Substance Misuse
Transpersonal
Licensed in
IndianaLicense 34006109A